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<title>Quiet Affection by Calliope (Frostbite122)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27411838">Quiet Affection</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostbite122/pseuds/Calliope'>Calliope (Frostbite122)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Original Fiction</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2016-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2016-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:29:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>565</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27411838</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostbite122/pseuds/Calliope</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’m going to disappoint you. But you knew that already.” </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Female Character/Original Female Character</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Quiet Affection</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m going to disappoint you. But you knew that already.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Slumping in her seat at their favorite diner Jamie stopped herself from continuing. Avoiding Rikki’s eyes, she began to pick at her plate of fries.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rikki, starting her second hot dog, paused mid bite to stare at her friend. Swallowing became difficult upon seeing the dejected expression on Jamie’s face. Regretting the second hot dog, Rikki reaches for her strawberry shake to wash down her bite of food.  Loud slurping breaks the silence.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Rikki asks, setting her shake back on the table.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Face turning a lovely shade of pink, Jamie starts to reply, “W-Well… okay I told myself I was finally going to stay something, but…” Biting her lip and twisting the little silver ring on her middle finger, Jamie continued to avoid eye contact.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chest feeling tight, Rikki attempted to squash her growing hope. <em>Is she? … No, that’s not what she’s trying to tell you, idiot. </em>Feeling her own cheeks starting to burn, “Come on Jamie you know you can tell me anything. What are friends for?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rikki tries to cover a wince, <em>Stop it! That’s not what this is about, something’s bothering her.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Smiling with only a little force, Rikki demands, “And why the hell would you think I’d be disappointed, huh? You know I’ve got your back, just like I know you’ve got mine. You were there when I was broke my arm dancing, I was there when you ate shellfish that one time and--”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jamie began to laugh, snorting as she did so, “Oh man, that was awful!” Happy to have her laughing, Rikki saw Jamie start to lose the tension in her shoulders. Laughter fading a bit, Jamie continued, “And we were both there for eachother when we came out sophomore year.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And don’t you forget it,” Rikki replied jokingly, trying to bring back the lightheartedness from a moment ago. At that, Jamie took a breath to steady herself and said what she was so nervous about, something Rikki had given up hope of ever hearing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I like you Rikki, as more than a friend. And I have for a long time.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Eyes growing wide, Rikki couldn’t believe her ears. Mistaking the reaction for a negative one, Jamie quickly continued, “I know you don’t feel the same and I don’t--”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Jamie.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“--want this to ruin our friendship. I’m not expecting anything. I don’t want this to--”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Jamie!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“--disappoint you.” Trailing off in surprise, Jamie stared at Rikki, waiting.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rikki couldn’t believe it. What she had convinced herself of being impossible, was actually happening. Not bothering to stifle the grin spreading across her face she asked, “Why’d you think I’d be disappointed Jamie? We’re--”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Best friends,” Jamie sighed, looking resigned, “That’s why. You’ve never said anything and I just assumed…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Annoyed at the interruption, Rikki exclaimed, “Because I didn’t think you felt the same!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What!” Jamie croaked, inhaling a fry wrong at the most inopportune moment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shaking her head, Rikki nudged her shake over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Leaning back in the booth, still slurping on the shake, Jamie began processing what Rikki had just said. Taking a breath before speaking, “You really feel the same? You never said anything.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Because apparently we both thought the same thing,” Rikki replied, chuckling.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Reaching across the table to grasp Rikki’s hand, Jamie whispered,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Squeezing her hand in reassurance, Rikki whispered back,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
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